Sunday, February 14, 2016

Satay tofu noodles with snow peas

I have previously shared recipes for satay tofu and satay sweet potato noodles. However, this dish manages to be different from - and better than - both of those past meals. In fact, I liked it so much I am already planning a repeat batch.

I use the term 'satay' quite loosely here as I know authentic satay dishes will have a few extra ingredients. I could have called this peanut butter tofu instead as there is a very generous quota of peanut butter in the mix. Between that and the tofu it is a great source of vegan protein and the snow peas and noodles make delicious accompaniments. You could use a greater range of vegetables if you prefer, and broccoli comes to mind as a particularly good alternative or addition to the snow peas.

The only thing I would change when making this again is using a blender or food processor to blitz the satay sauce. I whisked mine by hand, and that is fine if you don't have an alternative, but as peanut butter is so thick you're liable to get a sauce that is uneven in texture. It will still taste amazing but next time I'll try to smooth things out a little more.

I think you probably need to like peanut butter to appreciate this dish, but if you do, you won't be disappointed by the crispy full-flavoured tofu pieces set against the creamy satay-style noodles and fresh snow pea bursts.

Press your tofu using your preferred method. (Mine is to cut into thick slices, layer between tea towels and chopping boards, and press for at least 20 minutes under my heaviest cookbooks and saucepan.)

While the tofu is pressing, combine the almond milk, peanut butter and soy sauce in a small blender or food processor, or if you prefer, a deep jug or bowl. Blend or whisk very well until smooth.

Cut the tofu into squares and place in a shallow dish. Cover with the satay sauce and allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes.

When the tofu is ready, heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add the tofu squares, reserving any remaining marinade. Cook for several minutes on each side until golden.

Add the snow peas and remaining marinade to your pan and reduce heat to low. At the same time, add your soba noodles to a saucepan of boiling water and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and then add the noodles to the tofu mix.

Allow to cook over low heat for a further 5 or so minutes, thinning out the satay sauce with a little water if needed.

You have me hankering for Satay now, its been a while since I made or had some. I will have to try it with noodles, I have an aversion to noodles, but if anything that will make me eat noodles Satay (and Sriracha) will indeed help. I discovered Satay when I started this blog.http://allotment2kitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/tofu-served-with-satay-sauce.html

I genuinely appreciate all comments and the time taken to post them. Occasionally, I may need to restrict commenting to registered users in order to halt large volumes of spam. If that happens, I will lift the restriction within a week.

Want other ways to interact? Bite-sized thoughts is on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/bitesizedthoughts) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/bitesizethought).